MI Beer-cation 7/26-8/4

I agree with mothergoose that your itinerary is bold. Before embarking on this trip, make sure to check the status of I-94 construction between Ann Arbor and Marshall. This could delay you a bit depending on the time of day. I feel like you might need to decide between whether you want to hit Founder's OR Dark Horse + Bell's. I personally wouldn't miss Bell's, primarily because you are guaranteed at least a handful of beers on draft that you can't get anywhere else.

There haven't been reports of CBS in the wild in a very very long time. I guess I'd never say never, but I feel like you have a better shot at winning Powerball than finding one still on shelves or at a bar.

 

On top of that, the brewery tour at dark horse on saturday you will more than likely get to have a BB Plead the 5th.

 

Ooooh, that's a real bummer! Heh, heh!

 

So assuming I go to this Bell's event next week during DC Beer Week, do you think I still need to hit the brewery?

Check the lineup:

Black Note, Bourbon Barrel Aged Batch 9000, Bourbon Barrel Aged Cherry Stout, Two-Hearted (Cask), Expedition Stout, Sparkling Ale, Le Batteur, Le Contrebassiste, Le Pianiste, Smoked Vienna Lager, Cherry Stout, Double Cream Stout, Java Stout, Amber Ale, Midwestern Pale, Kalamazoo Stout, Porter, Oberon, Two-Hearted, Oarsman Ale

Not bad eh?

 

A good line up. Those are production beers. The café has the experimental ones, check the website for the tapshot.

 

Definitely a solid Bell's line up, but there are many additional currently on draft. Wild One and Roundhouse were still on as of yesterday. I would take Bell's "tap-room" exclusive offerings over Founder's every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Larry is also trialing some of his new recipies for the Upper Pennisula expansion, and a few of these have been excellent (the last DIPA trial might still be on). Like hopfenunmaltz said check the tap cam (http://bellsbeer.com/ftp/tapshot.big.jpg). I just like to pimp my local brewery, but you really can't go wrong with either choice. I just don't think you can do it all in one day and still enjoy each stop!

 

I'm working on getting two out of the four full days we'll be there... Can't have them be back to back either..

Maybe Thursday and Saturday.

How would you guys break these breweries up over two days if you were staying in Rochester Hills:

Founder's, Bell's, Jolly Pumpkin, Kuhnhenn, Dark Horse, and any close by bottle shops...

Thanks a lot for all the responses, they've been a big help!

 

You said your visit will be at the end of the month, so if the Saturday date is the 31st then I wouldn't go to JP on Saturday because there is a U of M home football game that day and the town goes crazy and everywhere is swamped.

I would look at doing Dark Horse, Bell's and Founders one day, and JP and Kuhnhenn another day. Dark Horse is relatively close to AA so that if you wanted to do Bell's and Founders alone and tack DH onto the JP and Kuhnhenn visits then that would work too. It all depends on how much time you want to spend at each place, and how late you want to get back to your hotel (and when you hit some bottle shops).

Champanes is a good bottle shop that is less than a mile from Kuhnhenn; Plum Market is a good one in Ann Arbor); Kalamazoo has Drake Party Center, Mega-Bev (Marshall, Battle Creek and two locations in Kalamazoo); and Siciliano's, Martha's Vineyard, International Beverage and GB Russo's are in GR and are all good shops.

 

I would also split them up by the 'distant ones' and closer ones. Bell's & Founders, JP and Dark Horse. And then go to Kuhnhenn everyday. I've been to Kuhnhenn's numerous times, and I have never heard of them doing a tour. Furthermore, they had BB4D on tap the last time I was there (about a month ago) for all customers. Maybe you were thinking of Dark Horse? As said, doing the Dark Horse tour is the only way to get BBPt5 up in the VIP lounge. You also get tasting (3oz pours) of a few other beers, and a pint glass. I would suggest maybe hitting Brewery Vivant when you are heading to Founders, both for excellent beer, as well as delicious food.

 

I visited there yesterday, and hopchick was right-on with her evaluation. It was hard to like their beers, although I won't quite put them into a 'bad' category. A couple of them had minor hints of sour, and one had a butterscotch background flavor (the first keg of this one was just tapped, so they were going to pull it off line), so there are flaws that need to be corrected.

 

Thanks, those two posts really helped in planning my two beer trips.

JP, Kuhnhenn on Wednesday or Thursday (to avoid Ann Arbor on football day, good tip)

Founder's, Bell's, and Dark Horse on Saturday.

Patty Melt, you were right. I was confused about the tours of Kuhnhenn and Dark Horse. It was the BB4d and BBPt5 mix-up. Too many abbrevs...

Mothergoose, those bottle shop suggestions look good too. I'll have to sort those out on a map when I determine my final itinerary.

I'll let you guys know how it goes in a couple weeks! Thanks again!

 

You should just stay in Flint the whole trip. Craft beer mecca and a bustling entertainment scene.

 

Aint nobody got time for that

 

imo, um no....There is no way I go to GR and skip founders..That would be like going to San Diego and skipping Stone, or Tampa and Skipping Cigar City....Over last few months they have had an excellent selection imo

on tap right now
Class 1

• Pale Ale5.4%
• Centennial IPA7.2%
• Dirty Bastard8.5%
• Red's Rye PA - Draft6.6%
• Porter6.5%
• All Day IPA4.7%
• Solid Gold4.5%
• Pale Ale - Nitro5.4%
• Mosaic Promise6.5%
• Cream of the Rock Milk Stout - Nitro4.9%

Class 2

• Double Trouble9.4%
• Rubaeus5.7%

Class 3

• Summer Sizzler11.0%
• Mango Magnifico con Calor11.0%
• Backwoods Bastard10.2%

 

Agreed, I loved reading hopchicks reports, but disagree with her here. If you are a beer geek and find yourself in Grand Rapids pop into Founders.

 

Eeeernt.

Bad Brad's BBQ.